Page 74 of Haunted Nightmares
Just as I know she most likely commanded the troll to bite it off of her before setting the dirty grub free in the streets of the Main Quarter.
She outed herself with that innovative move.
Knowing I would find the nasty little cretin, assuming I’d tear it apart in one way or another. Drusilla planted her finger for me to find, whether to fake her death or try to make me more paranoid than I have been, I’m unsure, but she failed at both and inadvertently told me she’s been consorting with creatures said to be extinct.
She was spotted not long ago and while I know, in theory, the troll could have eaten her since then, Drusilla is too sly to let that happen. And she has Hans.
I don’t need my lovely mate touching anything belonging to such a horrible female, not when I know all I need to from the object in question.
The bitch still lives.
The only thing I’m unsure of is,whywas my wench mother consorting with trolls?
One of the few things she shared in common with Atticus was her complete and utter distaste for any species other than our own, and even then it was questionable. Trolls, fairies, and giants. Valkyrie and sprites, goblins and elves. Not one species was safe from their hatred, none who are living or extinct. Add in their enraged disdain for humans and my parents were some of the worst creatures to walk the planet based on that alone.
Personally, I never gave a shite, and I still don’t.
Trolls have always been terrible little bulbous turds, goblins weren’t too much better, but the rest? So long as they didn’t fuck with me, I didn’t fuck with them, and all of us kept our secrets safe.
It was my parents who ruined everything.
As usual.
If the others were permitted within the kingdom, they were soldiers or servants. Slaves, more accurately, and they were treated lower than dog shite but they wereallowedto survive because Kadoc made it so. Even if he was mad with grief, no one dared go against his wishes; to let them live because they were revered by his mate.
Even if he hadn’t been seen since he lost his fated one, it was widely known my grandfather hadn’t immediately died solely because of the way he carried out her personal mission. Kadoc protected all of us to the best of his ability, he kept the others safe from tyrants who wanted them dead, and it was the other species who continued giving life to the stories of his work as king.
But even the good intentions and noble deeds of a dying king weren’t enough to keep his entire kingdom safe.
When Kadoc stepped away from the throne, my sire all but leapt into it, and that was the beginning of the end of our way of life.
It was then my eyes were forced open, when I truly saw whatneededto happen and how things had to change. It was no longer an angry son trying to rebel against his father, no longer the next in line impatiently waiting for his turn to sit in that throne. The shift in dynamic meant there was a greater threat than a power hungry tyrant, and that was when the Purists were born.
The other species became divided into groups as well, and many of them realized without Kadoc and Faya on the throne, and with our kingdom ruled by a bastard like Atticus,theyhad the potential to be in control. They tried to organize themselves, tried to rise up against vampires and their reign of terror, but they failed. They failed on their own, then again when they joined forces with my army during the Species War, and after that, whoever remained was executed by the humans.
With Atticus’ help, of course.
Which is exactly why it is so hard for me to fathom my wretched mother teaming up with the not-so-extinct creatures who are hiding better than we ever did.
She lives, she has aligned herself with the worst of the worst and I don’t know why, and I’m hopefully about to ruin the plans I’m relatively sure Drusilla has.
Starting with smoking out the mole who is no doubt amongst the masses filling the folding chairs in front of me.
With a deep breath,I ignore Zenlothanai’s incessant badgering, the way they egg me on, encouraging me to kill everyone here instead of putting my plan into action.
They are much quieter now that I’m feeding regularly from my precious mate, even whispering most of they’re taunts because their voice has been muffled, but they are still there, and they are still very interested in destroying everyone I come into contact with.
I lift my hands to rub my temples, closing my eyes while I visualize putting Zenlothanai into a box and setting it on fire.
“That will not work, it would have by now if it were a true method to be rid of us.”
“I know,”I grunt.“I’m hoping if I do it enough you’ll be so offended you leave of your own accord.”
They laugh, cackling louder than they have in a while.“Never. You are stuck with us forever, our king, and no amount of blood from your mate will change that.”
It’s always reassuring when your insanity takes on a mind of its own then somehow separates itself enough to not only annoy the piss out of you, but argue about and with your mate as well.
Because yes, having Zephyr in my head again means that she can also hear and communicate with Zenlothanai. Which is validating to a degree, odd and rather obnoxious, but validating nonetheless.
